For Eternal Beginners
आब्रह्म भुवनात् लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनः अर्जुन ।
माम् उपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥ १६ ॥
Abrahma bhuvanAt lokAH punarAvartinaH arjuna |
mAm upetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate || 16 ||
अर्जुन [arjuna] Arjuna, लोकाः [lokAH] all worlds पुनरावर्तिनः [punarAvartinaH] get destroyed and return again. आब्रह्म भुवनात् [Abrahma bhuvanAt] That includes the world of Brahma, the engineer of the universe. तु [tu] However, कौन्तेय [kaunteya] Arjuna, माम् उपेत्य [mAm upetya] having approached Me, न विद्यते [na vidyate] there is no पुनर्जन्म [punarjanma] re-birth.
The material universe keeps going in cycles. So does a person who yearns for material wealth.
Everywhere in the universe, wealth and enjoyment are pursued - right from the world of Brahma, the engineer of this universe. All these worlds return again – after being destroyed periodically.
Thus, people who did achieve the wealth they desired will inevitably be destroyed – by the destruction of the position they attained.
This destruction does not happen to those who have attained Me - I have enormous compassion, My will is always realized, I know everything and My form always remains unchanged. The act of creation, existence and destruction of the entire universe is My game.
People who have Me as their abode do not go through cycles of destruction and return to this world.
Next, the Lord describes the time-lines of creation and destruction of the various worlds and their inhabitants, including that of Brahma, as brought-about by the will of the Lord.